# Solar cells questions

by Stanley514
Tags: cells, solar
 P: 300 I have the following questions regarding solar panels. 1)Why solar panels which use sunlight concentrators gain in efficiency despite they produce larger currents?Usually its believed that with increase in current flow efficiency should fall. Example here is a fuel cells. 2)Currently sunlight concentration up to 100 times acheived on solar panels.Usual sunlight gives around 1000 Watts on square meter.100X1000=100 kW.How could solar cells handle such big currents? If they use P-n potential for charge separation shouldnt we increase voltage to deal with bigger currents?Or electrostatic potential of P-n junction (voltage) could stay the same as before?
Mentor
P: 40,730
 Quote by Stanley514 I have the following questions regarding solar panels. 1)Why solar panels which use sunlight concentrators gain in efficiency despite they produce larger currents?Usually its believed that with increase in current flow efficiency should fall. Example here is a fuel cells. 2)Currently sunlight concentration up to 100 times acheived on solar panels.Usual sunlight gives around 1000 Watts on square meter.100X1000=100 kW.How could solar cells handle such big currents? If they use P-n potential for charge separation shouldnt we increase voltage to deal with bigger currents?Or electrostatic potential of P-n junction (voltage) could stay the same as before?
What is the context of these questions? Is it for a school project or a class?
P: 300
 What is the context of these questions? Is it for a school project or a class?
Nothing like this.Just for personal interest and maybe for future inventions.
Im just intereted how different energy conversion devices work.

Mentor
P: 40,730
Solar cells questions

 Quote by Stanley514 Nothing like this.Just for personal interest and maybe for future inventions. Im just intereted how different energy conversion devices work.
Fair enough. Where did you get the statements that you listed?

As a hint, do you know why a p-n junction gets more efficient as it heats up? Are you familiar with the temperature coefficient for switching speed in digital logic gates, and how it is different for CMOS circuits versus BJT-based circuits?

 Related Discussions General Physics 1 Electrical Engineering 2 Electrical Engineering 3 General Engineering 29 Computing & Technology 2